2024 Generation Next winner Anastasia Kohout (Q&A)

Anastasia Kohout

Manager, Sales Strategy and Operations, UNFI Canada

In under two years with UNFI Canada, Anastasia Kohout has had an outsized impact. By spearheading the adoption of advanced sales tools and serving as the primary liaison for virtual communications to the sales team, Kohout contributed significantly to UNFI Canada surpassing its fiscal year sales target for the period ending Aug. 3, 2024. A testament to her strategic leadership, this achievement also aligns with her personal commitment to improving access to quality food. “I grew up in Canada but was born in the Ukraine, and have heard many stories from my family about their struggles to access food.” 

With a small team of three in the sales strategy and operations department, Kohout’s communication skills have helped galvanize UNFI Canada’s national sales teams of more than 100 associates. “I try to get messaging down to a few key digestible points because a lot of [the sales associates] are in and out of stores and don’t have a lot of time,” she says. Kohout also participates in UNFI Canada’s ESG Committee, which partners with local community organizations to engage associates in volunteer programs, food donations and employee appreciation events. 

See the full list of Generation Next 2024 winners profiles.

Profiles were first published in the December 2024 issue of Canadian Grocer